Intelligent Theatre For Adventurous Audiences

Artistic Team Bios

Heather Inglis Artistic Producer

HEATHER INGLIS is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada. She is an award winning director, producer, dramaturg and educator whose career has taken her across the country. She has directed and assistant directed over 40 productions, many of which have been new Canadian works. Heather is the founder and Artistic Director of Theatre Yes and the Resident Dramaturg (North) of Alberta Playwrights Network. Heather is a recipient of a 2014 Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Arts Award for her body of work much of which has been under the banner of Theatre Yes. Heather has received the Edmonton Artists’ Trust Fund Celebration of Women in the Arts Award (twice), as well as the Telus Courage to Innovate Award at the Mayor’s Evening of the Arts. Eight of Heather’s productions have been nominated for a total of 16 Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Awards, including 6 Nominations for Outstanding Independent Production and nominations for Outstanding Director and Outstanding Fringe Director. Theatre Yes was honoured with 2014 Special Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award for Outstanding Innovation in Theatre for the creation and production of The National Elevator Project. Check out her personal website at heatheringlis.net

Melissa Thingelstad Artistic Associate

Originally from Saskatchewan, MELISSA THINGELSTAD received her B.F.A. in Acting at The University of Alberta and is an Edmonton based theatre artist. In addition to being the Associate Producer for theatre no. 6, she is an Artistic Associate with Theatre Yes, and is growing her own practice in performance creation and multidisciplinary avenues. As an actress, her selected theatre credits include: The Laws of Thermodynamics (Theatre Yes), Proud (theatre no. 6), Fatboy (Edmonton Actors Theatre),The Fever (theatre no. 6), Three Sisters (Broken Toys Theatre), Kill Me Now (Workshop West Theatre), An Accident (Northern Light Theatre), Age of Arousal (The Maggie Tree/Blarney Productions), The List (Theatre Yes), L’homme de la Mancha (L’Unithéâtre), and Hedda Gabler at Rutherford House (Vault! Theatre of Invention | Canoe Festival). Melissa is the recipient of two Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Awards for acting. She is co-curator on the National Elevator Project and premiered her short play Replay in part 2 of the series at the 2014 Canoe Festival. She has also collaborated on new works for a number of multidisciplinary festivals in the city including: The Storefront Cinema Nights, Latitude 53’s Visualeyze Festival, The Kaleido Festival, and the Expanse Movement Festival.

Brian Bast Artistic Associate

BRIAN BAST is Theatre Yes’s resident designer and has worked many productions including: My Name is Rachel Corrie, The List, Shoot/Get Treasure/Repeat, Race and the National Elevator Project, Bone Cage and the Laws of Thermodynamics to name a few. Brian is a Multiple Sterling award Nominee for Set and Costume design. Received a Sterling for his Costume Design for Shadow Theatre’s Production of 10 X 2. Brian’s design work has been seen across Alberta including McEwan University, Red Deer College, Theatre no. 6, Plain Jane, Shadow Theatre, Alberta Opera, Teatro La Quindicina, Grande Prairie Live Theatre, Theatre Network and The Mayfield Dinner Theatre. Brian is also the resident Costume Designer for Victoria School of the Arts. A few of his favourite productions he has designed include: Carrie, Suessical: The Musical, A Little Night Music, Xanadu, The Color of Flesh, Big Fish, 12th Night, Spelling Bee, Glorious, The mystery of Edwin Drood, As You Like It, Cinderella, Drat! The Cat, White Christmas, MacBeth, Everybody goes to Mitzi’s, The Light in the Piazza, The Dazzle and My Fair Lady

LORA BROVOLD is an Edmonton based artist who has worked for various theatre companies across Alberta, including The Citadel Theatre, Theatre Network, Workshop West Theatre, Shadow Theatre, Northern Light Theatre, Freewill Players, Downstage, and Lunchbox Theatre. Lora first appeared on Theatre Yes turf in My Name Is Rachel Corrie, a pivotal production that awakened her desire for stronger performer-audience engagement and storytelling that is physically gripping, real, and personal. She appeared in Theatre Yes’ Shoot/Get Treasure/Repeat followed by The National Elevator Plays (1 & 2)—first as an actor and then as production facilitator for Sarasvàti Prodcutions’ FemFest in Winnipeg. Lora brings with her an administrative programming background from her past work with Theatre Alberta, where she planned and coordinating provincial theatre conferences and workshops in Calgary and Edmonton for artists of diverse disciplines and backgrounds. Lora is a graduate of the University of Alberta’s BFA Acting Program and the Citadel Theatre/Banff Centre Professional Theatre Program.

Murray Cullen Artistic Associate

MURRAY CULLEN is an actor and visual artist who hails from Medicine Hat Alberta. Trained at Keyano College, Murray has appeared in Theatre Yes’s productions of Shoot /Get Treasure/Repeat, White Linoleum, The National Elevator Project (Parts 1 and 2), Bone Cage by Catherine Banks, and toured with the National Elevator Project to the Banff Centre. Other theatre credits include The Ready Made Playground of Marcel Duchamp and Legion Blues with Eyeflower Productions, Son of a Dwarf and For the Love of a Zombie with Accidental Humour Co. as well as numerous new play workshops and public readings. Murray is also a theatre educator who has worked extensively with the Citadel’s Youth Companies. Murray is the co-creator of the ANXIETY project.